An FSAS is generally comprised of a station-alert receiver and a station-alert transmitter. Examples of station-alert receivers include a Model 6 Fire Station Transponder and a Model 6203 Fire Station Unit, both of which are available from Zetron, Inc. of Redmond, Wash. Examples of station-alert transmitters include a Model 26 Status/Control Panel and an Internet Protocol (IP) Fire Station Alerting (FSA) system, both of which are also available from Zetron, Inc. The station-alert receiver is typically located at a fire station to provide, among other things, an audio interface to the station's public address (PA) system. And the station-alert transmitter is typically located at an emergency telephone call dispatch center to provide an interface between manual dispatch or computer aided dispatch (CAD) and the station-alert receiver of the FSAS.
In some embodiments, after a dispatcher enters information about an emergency situation into a CAD system, the CAD system then automatically selects one or more fire stations and specific resources (e.g., a fire engine, also known as an apparatus) capable of providing a rapid and suitable response to the situation. The CAD system then provides the information to the station-alert transmitter of the FSAS. In response, the station-alert transmitter sends alert information in the form of data packets or voice transmission through a radio or wired communication link—e.g., private telephone communication lines or IP wide area network (WAN)—to one or more station-alert receivers at addressed stations having the desired resources.
When it receives the alert information, a station-alert receiver switches an internal relay connecting the station-alert receiver to the fire station's PA system. At that point, the station-alert receiver causes an audible tone—specific sounds corresponding to an apparatus and its response team—to be played through a loud speaker. In some embodiments, the audible tone is played throughout the station so that everyone in the station can hear the alert and respond if they are members of the response team for the apparatus identified by a pattern of sounds included in the audible tone. Following the tone, the station-alert receiver typically actuates audio equipment so as to broadcast a dispatcher's voice from the PA system and thereby allow dispatch to announce details of the emergency situation. Concurrently, the station-alert receiver may also activate its other control relays that activate fire station lights, disable cooking appliances, raise bay doors, or perform other actions reducing response time.
Previous attempts at delivering flexible zoned-alerting in areas of the fire station have employed a holistic approach entailing installation of new station-alert receiver equipment or other proprietary equipment by which to receive specific data protocols and radio signals. In other words, such systems are generally intended for new fire stations or for situations in which preexisting FSAS equipment is entirely replaced. But some stations having preexisting station-alert receivers and insufficient financial resources available for an expensive FSAS upgrade might still benefit from flexible zoned-alerting.